Self-wringing mop construction



INVENTOR NATHANIEL B. GREENLAF Dec.. 16, 195s N. B. GREENLEAF. SELF-WRINGING MOP CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 23, 1954 IVENTCIR NATHANIEL B. GREENLEAF Affi.

nited States Patent 2,864,107 SELF-WRINGING MOP CONSTRUCTION Nathaniel B. Greenleaf, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, as-

signor to Sponge Products Corporation,.Chicago,Ill.

Application-August V23, 1954,' Serial No. `451,563

3 Claims. '(Cl, 15-119) T.hisinvention relates toimp'rovements Vin spongemops of the type in which the moppingtelementror sponge .is folded'uponfitself in the wringing action and vcompressed to squeeze -out the water.

More particularly the invention `relates to mops wherein the sponge -is mounted on suitable backing'plates hinged to a mophead .and is folded transversely intermediately of its length upon itself by means of a suitable .slide operated lever or other mechanism.

VIn the past, such mops have -required that the handle extend rigidly upwardly at right anglesto the mop head to accommodate the sponge foldingslide mechanisms.

This required right angular Vrelation .of .the mop .head and handle has several important disadvantages. Itipreventsthe introduction of the: mop'lunder. low objectsor furniture, and'since such mops have required a rectangular sponge element' it necessitatesk a compression `of the `rearward portionof the;sponge'when.the handle is placed at-a convenient workingangle `and pressure is appliedlto maintain the bottom .working face of the sponge on the floor. The compression o'f the rearwardsponge portion `restricts its ability to 4absorb moisture-fand therefore reduces the effective sponge volume available for mopping.

It is therefore' the principal object of the .present invention to provide a mop of the type referred to in which the handle can be swungto any desired angle between a position-perpendicularto themop head and the positionssubstantially parallel thereto without in lany way interfering with the wringing action. ofthe mop.

:Ithas also beenfound that-mops of the-type referredV to in which the sponge is folded .transversely on itself have an annoying tendency V'to"clos'e'with the backing plates swinging towardsthewringing-position under the'mopping action, and it is. another impor-tantobjectfof the-invention toeliminate'such closing movement.

Another important object is to providefa mop as aforesaid of vsimple .and economical construction and which will have an effective wringing action.

The principal feature of the invention resides in providing a mop having a head and backing plates hinged thereto with a handle and =a slide mechanism carrying arms or levers for operating the backing plates in the wringing action, the handle and slide arms being secured to the mop head and backing plates respectively to swing about a common axis in movement of the handle relative to the head, and the arms being swingable relative to the backing plates on an axis perpendicular to the common axis for operating the backing plates to the wringing position.

Another important feature resides in the provision of spring means for operating the backing plates to .an aligned mopping position and to prevent closing of the sponge under mopping action.

These and other objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is a sectional plan view taken on the line 1-1 of Figure 2.

Patented Dec. .'16, V1958 Figure 2 is .a front elevational view of the mop partly broken away.

Figure 3 is an elevational view similar to Figure 2but "showing the slide mechanism operated to the wringing position.

Figure 4 is an end elevational View of the mop showing the swivel movement of the mop handle.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary plan view of a socketfmember for use in a ball .and socket connection between. the slide levers and backing plates as an alternative formof the invention.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary part vertical sectional partelevational view illustrating the ballxand socket connection `afforded with the socket of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view'showing an alternative form of connection between the .sIide lever and backing plate.

Figure 8 is a perspective view illustrating the pivot arrangement provided by the swivel lug employed Vin the constructions of Figures l, Zand 4.

With reference to the drawings the mop vcomprises a head 1 formed as a flat plate having upstanding lugslfZ on the upper surface thereof .and the edges being rolled down to provide hinge barrels 3. Suitable backing or pressure plates 4 are hinged to the hinge barrels 3 of the mop head by means of suitable pins 5 with 'the backing plates having' rolled hinge barrels 6 adapted to align with the barrels 3 to receive the pins.

Pivoted to. the head 1 is a handle 7 received between the lugs 2 at its lower end and beingformed with'alsuitable bore therethrough to receive aA pin '8.

Secured to the underside of the backing'platesf4i`s a suitable spongeelement 9 preferably providedwithrspaced backing plates 10 covered by a fabric 11with the lbacking plates carrying threaded posts '12Ya`daptedto projectup through suitable openings in register therewith inthebacking plates 4 andto be secured tothe back-ingfplates by suitable fasteners or nuts 13. Projecting upwardly from eachof the backing plates 4 are atpair of lugs 4v14be`tween which is pivoted a lug- 15 swingable abouta pivot axis formed by a pin 16 in axial alignmentwith the pin -81with the backing plates in the position 'of Figure 2,"that is, in the mopping position, or in substantial alignment, as shown in Figure 2.

Mounted on the handle 7 are' a pairo'f semicircular members 17 formed with wings 18 in opposing relation to form a slide member `between the wings of which areffulcrumed a pair o-f levers 19. The levers A19 arepivotedat their lower `ends to the lugs 15 by -means of fpinsi-20 extending parallel to the pins 5. Therupper` ends'ofithe levers 19 are pivotally .connected to toggle 'linksl 21 which are in turn pivotally connected to slide 22 corresponding to the slide formed by the members 17.

Springs 23 arranged on the pins 5 act on the backing plates 4 to swing them to the aligned position of Figure 2 and the stop collar 24 slidably mounted on the handle and being locked in position by a threaded pin 24', to be engaged by the slide members 17 provides the stop to limit movement of the backing plates 4 upwardly past the aligned position.

In operation the slide 22 is moved by means of a sleeve 25, sleeved on the handle 7 and connected to the slide, relatively down the handle, or, alternatively, the handle is drawn up through the sleeve 25. The movement of the slide 22 relatively down the handle operates the levers 19 disposed on opposite sides of the handle through the toggie connection afforded by the toggle links 20 to swing the levers on their fulcra to aetuate the backing plates 4 towards the substantially parallel wringing position as shown in Figure 3. v In effecting this closing of the backing plates 4 in the wringing action the lower ends of the levers 19 swing on the pivots supported by the pins 20 extending parallel to the pins 5.

The springs 23 act in addition to the natural resiliency of the sponge element 9 to returnthe backing plates to the aligned mopping position of Figure 2 when wringing pressure is released on release of the slide or sleeve 25. When the backing plates 4 have returned to the position of Figure 2 the pivot 8 of the mop handle 7 and pin 16 of levers 19 are in alignment, allowing the handle 7 and levers 19 to swing in a common plane about their pivot axes. Y

Thus the mop can be operated as shown in Figure 4 by swivelling the handle as desired to mop beneath low objects or furniture. When again it is desired to wring the mop, the downward force exerted through the levers 19 will act to automatically rst swing the backing plates 4 relative to the handle until they are in the right angular relation of Figure 2 and thereupon the closing of the K backing plates 4 will commence.

In Figures 1 to 4 and Figure 8 the employment of the pivot lug pivoted both to the end of each lever and to pivot lugs on the backing plate 4 form the swivel connection between each lever end and its adjacent backing plate.

In Figures 5 and 6 an alternative form of swivel is pro- .vided in which'the lower end of the lever 19 is provided with a ball formation 26 adapted to be received in the socket 27 formed in the upper end of a post 28 secured to the backing plate 4. The post 28 is provided with three lug projections 29 which define therebetween notches 30. The reduced lower end 31 of the lever 19 is adapted to enter the middle notch 30 during the wringing action of the mop and to swing into the right angularly disposed notches when the mop handle is being swung through the positions illustrated in Figure 4.

Figure 7 shows another alternative form of the invention in which the swivel connection between the ball formation 26 formed at the lower end of the reduced lever arm portion 31 is received in the socket formation 32 formed by a sheet metal ring 33 welded on the upper surface of a boss 34 provided by forming up a portion of the sponge carrying backing plate 35 of the mop.

It will be understood that various other alterations in detail and modifications may be made within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A mop comprising a head, a pair of elongated backing plates hinged to said head to swing between aligned and substantially parallel positions, a foldable sponge element removably secured to said backing plates and adapted to be folded transversely of its length and to be compressed upon movement of said backing plates towards said parallel position, a'handle pivoted to said head to swing about a pivot pin having its axis extending longitudinally of said backing plates and at right angles to the axes about which said hinged backing plates swing, means for swinging said backing plates comprising a pair of levers fulcrummed intermediate their length at opposite sides of said handle on a slide member slidably mounted on said handle, said levers being disposed to swing in a common plane containing the axis of said handle pivot pin, a second slide member on said handle, pivotal link means carried by said second slide and contained in said common plane and pivoted to said levers adjacent the upper ends thereof for fulcrumming same on movement of said second slide, the lower ends of said levers being pivoted to lugs which in turn are pivotally connected to said backing plates by means of pivot pins disposed with their axes in alignment with the aforesaid pivot pin when said backing plates are swung to said aligned position, said levers being slidable upwardly and downwardly along said handle as said backing plates swing between said aligned and substantially parallel positions respectively, spring means urging said backing plates to said aligned position, and stop means for limiting upward movement of said levers along said handle as said backing plates are swung to said aligned position to locate the axes of said pivot pins in precise alignment with the levers in their upward limit positions.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 in which said stop means comprises a collar member slidably mounted on said handle to form a stop for one of said slide members, and means for locking said collar on said handle in adjusted position to locate the axes of said pivot pins in said precisely aligned position when said collar is engaged by said latter slide member, with said levers in their upward limit positions.

3. -A device as claimed in claim 1 in which said mop f head comprises a plate formed with rolled edges constituting hinge barrels to receive hinge pins for hinging said backing plates to said head, and further formed to present a pair of upturned lugs having axially aligned openings therein to receive said handle pivot pin with the aligned axes of said openings being at right angles to the axes of said hinge barrels.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,670,488 Richards et al. Mar. 2, 1954 2,685,098 Palma et al. Aug. 3, 1954 2,706,303 Ours Apr. 19, 1955 2,801,433 Palma et al Aug. 6, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 76,184 Norway Jan. 30, 1950 216,565 Germany Nov. 24, 1909 466,474 Canada July 11, 1950 553,287 Great Britain May 14, 1943 -617,197 Germany Aug. 14, 1935 

